treat



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. H. TREAT.

BILLET GONVEYER.

P10445290. Patented Jan. 27,1891.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. H. TREAT.

BILLET GONVEYER. No. 445,290. Patented Jan. 27, 1891.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

F. H. TREAT. BILLET GONVEYER.

No. 445,290. Patented Jan. 27, 1891.

'"UntTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS II. 'IREAT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ILLINOIS STEEL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BlLLET-CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,290, dated January 27, 1891.

Application filed August 16, 1890- Serial No. 362,199. (No model.)

To (LN, l/j7l/0llt it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. TREAT, of (lhicago, ook county, Illinois, have invented a new andusetul Improvement in BilIet'COnveyers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement on the one described in the Smith, Treat, and Pettigrew application filed July 18, 1890, Serial No. 359,152; and its special object is to provide means to enable the conveyor to turn corners in its course of travel.

To this end the invention consists in the features and combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a broken plan view of my improved billetconveyer; Fig. 2, an enlarged detail view of one form of curve in the conveyor; Fig. 2), an enlarged detailview of al'iothcrforni of curve; Figs. st and 5, sectional views taken in lines 4 and respectively, of Fig. 3,1ooking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. (3, a broken side view oi one part of the conveyor; and Fig. 7, a sectional view takenin line 7 of Fig. (3, look ing in the direction of the arrows.

A is the endless chain of the conveyer; I3, traveling rollers thereof; 0, a curved table having stationary revoluble rollers arranged therein, and c projecting teeth in one of the rollers; I), angle-irons forming guides for the billets and havingbearings for the stationary rollers,an il d an additional angle-iron for use in conveying short billets; E,ashaft operated by gear mechanism and driving the stationary rollers; 1*, shafts connected with the sprocketavheel and operating in connection with the endless chain and traveling rollers; II, I-beams supporting forming a trackway for the traveling rollers; I, a train of beveled gearing connecting the stationary rollers and causing them to revolve together; J, a bracket forming a bearing for the sprocket-wheel and a support for the angle-irons, and K an adjustable bracket at the end of the conveyer for taking up the slack in the chain.

The general construction and operation of a billet-conveyer and of the various parts forming the same are described in the Smith, Treat, and lettigrew application above referred to, and hence it is not considered necessary to particularly describe them herein. In operation, however, the con veyer described in said application is incapable of use in positions where it is desired to turn or change the course of travel of the billetas, for instance, in going around acorner-and to provide for this turning function is the object of my present invention.

I use the term conveyor herein as meaning the entire mechanism by which the billet is carried from the shears to its place of final delivery, and it is in this sense that I speak of the curved tables or corners as a part of the conveyer. In these curved tables or corners I use stationary rollers-that is, sta tionary in the sense that they do not travel, but not otherwise-of a conical or truncated form and placed radially to the curve of the table. These rollers are adapted to be revolved in the same direction as the traveling rollers by gear mechanism driven by the mechanism of the conveyor or in any other convenient way. Their ends are supported in bearings extending down from angle-irons, which angle-irons also form side rails or guards whenever it is necessary to guide the billet in its course. An additional angleiron (Z may be placed above the rollers in position to confine the billets to the inner side of the table wheneverdesired. This is especially applicable to the turning of short billets.

I prefer to form the first stationary roller with longitudinally-arranged teeth projecting outwardly to catch or pick up the ends of the short billets as they pass from the traveling rollers of the straight part of the conveyer onto the stationary rollers of the curved part.

As already suggested, the stationary rollers are operated by gear mechanism driven by the mechanism of the conveyor. This is accomplished by the turning of the shaft E, which being connected to one of the stationary rollers causes such stationary roller to revolve, and this stationary roller being connected with all the other rollers by a train of gearing its revolution causes all the other rollers to revolve at the same speed and in the same direction. To run properly this train of gearing should be beveled, so as to have its teeth all radial to the curve of the table. It will be noticed that the shafts and gear mecha nism for operating the rollers are so arranged or connected thatthe same power 0perates the straight section in advance of and the straight section following the curve. In this way all the sections straight and curved are kept moving in regular uniform course.

In operation the billet is carried forward by the traveling rollers until it reaches apoint where the conveyer turns or changes its di rectionas, for instance, in going round a corner, at which point it passes onto the stationary rollers, and by means of their revolution is carried forward, gradually turning in its course to conform to the direction of the conveyer. This turning or change in the direction of the conveyeris effected by means of the peculiar shape of the rollers, their diameter at their outer ends being larger than at their inner ends, and by means of their radial position, which peculiarity of shape and position necessarily cause the billet to turn or change its course as it moves forward. In other words, as the billet passes each stationary roller it takes a course orposition tangential to the curve of the table, and as each section of the straight part of the conveyer is tangential to the curve of the table the billet naturally passes around and enters the straight part of the conveyer beyond thecurve.

An adjustable bracketmay be placed in the conveyor at the end farthest from the shears, by which any slack in the chain may be readily taken up. As shown in Fig. 6,this bracket is adapted to be shoved in or out by means of an adjusting-screw secured to the Ibeam at one end, and passing through nuts in a lug of the bracket at its other end. The turning of these nuts, by a wrench or otherwise, causes the bracket to be pushed in or out, as desired.

As the essential feature of my invention consists in providing for a turn or curve in a billet-conveyer, it will of course be understood that I do not intend to limit myself to minor features or details of construction. On the contrary, I intend to vary the construction of 'the parts to admit any of them desired or to use equivalent members, as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, and of course the curve may be of any degree desired, whether greater or less than that shown in the drawings.

I claim 1. In a billet-conveyor, traveling rollers and mechanism for supporting and operating the same to form a straight section and truncated rollers and mechanism for supporting and operating the same to form a curved section, substantially as described.

2. In a billet-couveyer, a curved section having truncated rollers and mechanism for operating the same, substantially as described.

3. In a billet-conveyer, a curved table, a series of rollers arranged radially with reference to the curve of the table, and mechanism for operating the rollers, substantially as described.

4:. In a billct-conveyer, a curved table, truncated rollers arranged radially with reference to the curve of the table, and gear mechanism for operating the rollers, substantially as described.

5. In a billet-conveyer, a curved table, truncated rollers arranged radially with reference to the curve of the table, gear mechanism for revolving one of the truncated rollers, and a train of beveled gearing connecting said one with other rollers, whereby all the connected rollers may be operated together, substantially as described.

6. In a billet-conveyer, a curved table, truncated rollers arranged radially with reference to the curve of the table, mechanism for operating the rollers, and side rails supporting the rollers and forming guards, substantially as described.

7. In a billet-conveyer, a curved section having side rails forming guards, substantially as described.

8. In a billet-conveyer, a roller having projecting teeth to receive or raise the end of the billet, substantially as described.

9. In a billet-conveyer, the combination, with a straight section and a curved section, of a truncated roller at the receiving end of the curved section having projecting teeth to receive or raise the billet as it passes from the straight section to the curved section, substantially as described.

10. In combination with a billet-conveyor, an adjustable bracket for taking up the slack of the chain, substantially as described.

FRANCIS IT. TREAT.

Witnesses:

EPHRAIM BANNING, SAMUEL E. IIIBBEN. 

